MPL 2025, 6th Match Review: Yash Nahar, Nikit Dhumal orchestrate comprehensive win for Puneri Bappa

Puneri Bappa eased past Raigad Royals in match No. 6 of the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2025 by 99 runs at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Saturday, June 7.

Raigad skipper Rushabh Rathod won the toss and opted to field first. Puneri Bappa lost the wicket of Murtaza Trunkwala in the third over before Yash Nahar and Rushikesh Sonawane registered a phenomenal partnership for the second wicket. The two right-handed batters added 128 runs off 80 balls to set up a solid foundation for Puneri Bappa.

Sonawane was dismissed for a 40-ball 58 in the 16th over. Raigad made a strong comeback, as they sent Nahar packing in the following over after he had scored 82 runs off 52 balls with the help of eight fours and four sixes. Sahil Autade was retired out, but the star of the death overs was wicketkeeper-batter Suraj Shinde.

While Puneri Bappa were looking towards a score of around 180-190, Shinde's late blitzkrieg helped them cross the 200-run mark. The 28-year-old smashed one four and five sixes in his unbeaten knock of 40 runs off 12 balls. He scored his runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 333.33. The Yash Kshirsagar-led side finished on 202/4 in their 20 overs.

In reply, Raigad lost the wicket of opener Harsh Mogaveera in the first over. Siddhesh Veer hit a flurry of boundaries, but Sachin Bhosale dismissed Digvijay Patil and Rugved More in the fourth over. In the following over, Siddhesh Veer departed, becoming the first victim of Nikit Dhumal on the night.

At the end of the powerplay, Raigad were staring down the barrel, having lost four wickets for 46 runs. Dhumal bagged two wickets in the seventh over as Raigad slumped to 51/6. Wickets kept on tumbling, but Rathod played a valiant knock of 46 off 21 balls to take his team to three figures. In the end, Raigad were bowled out for 103 in 13.1 overs as Dhumal finished with figures of 5/39 in his four overs.